Emitac is getting set to take its portfolio of HP products to Saudi Arabia. The distributor is hoping to ink a contract soon and be sending products into the country by the end of the year.

Emitac is getting set to take its portfolio of HP products to Saudi Arabia. The distributor is hoping to ink a contract soon and be sending products into the country by the end of the year. “We have conducted a large survey, and started shortlisting resellers. You need to be very prepared, especially for a market the size of Saudi Arabia. We hope to get the distribution rights by next quarter,” said Vijay Saraf, director of sales and marketing at Emitac. The regional distributor is confident about the competition it will face in the Kingdom, saying that there is room for the different offerings and strengths that each distributor can bring to the market. Emitac fulfils two roles for HP, one as a logistics service provider (LSP) and another as a channel development partner (CDP). A channel development partner is rewarded through actively growing the number of resellers and helping them skill up within the market. “It is a very new and very large market and will require a completely different operation. In the UAE more products are being sold through retail and distribution channels, the market is already well attended and there is more choice for the resellers. I think there is a lot that can be done with HP in Saudi, if you look at the IDC figures there are some other key brands that are gaining ground on HP. The competition is fierce, but we are sure that we can have an impact,” says Anil Warang, business manager HP personal systems group (PSG) at Emitac. Emitac primarily serves the UAE market, though it has branched out to surrounding countries such as Kuwait, Jordan, Yemen and Oman. “The Saudi market requires local presence, we have had a few resellers who have tried to cover it from their Dubai base and it hasn’t worked. None of our major distributors can ignore this market, it is a question of strategy. It is 30% to 40% of the entire Middle East market and I’m sure all of our distributors will have a strategy they want to take to the country,” said Salim Ziade, category and marketing manager at HP PSG. “Based on our success in establishing joint ventures and establishing offices in other countries, we are very confident in succeeding based on our experience. Overall we are confident we can break into this market,” concluded Saraf. HP is keen to move more of its distribution partners to regional contracts. The vendor giant is looking at extending distribution rights for some of its existing Middle East partners and giving them Africa rights as well. Almasa has already submitted a business plan to HP that is currently under consideration.